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#1
12-07-2020, 12:01 PM
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Me and My Uncle, an ambiguous lesson in how to write a song
I was reminded of the story of how this song came to be when thinking about modern ballad "story songs" in another thread. "Me and My Uncle" is now perhaps best known as perennial Grateful Dead set number, but it was first recorded and brought to notice by Judy Collins. It was written by John Phillips, later to be known as the songwriter/leader of the pop group The Mamas and the Papas.
Collins says he heard it at a gig after-party during the later parts of the "Folk Scare" in 1963 in which most in the room were using popular post-performance intoxicants. John Phillips (working as a hardly successful folkie in those days) played the song, and Collins was apparently able to remember the words and cop the changes from that one-night, informal performance. About a year later, she recorded in on her Judy Collins in Concert recording, which did reasonably well sales-wise. The story I heard says that her record company had trouble getting the royalties to songwriter Phillips who was still an unsuccessful folkie. Judy volunteered to get the payment to Phillips herself. So Judy goes up to John when their paths next cross and she says she sure appreciated his song, and that she has a royalty check for him. "What song?" says John. "Me and My Uncle" says Judy. "What song?" says John again. "You know, that song you sang in that hotel room after that gig." "I don't remember any song." She gave him the royalty check, and John, looking at the amount, decided to it might be good to remember songs after that.
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... 
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#3
12-24-2020, 03:25 PM
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The way I heard the story was that Philips wrote the song right on the spot, while drunk. The rest of the story was the same.
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RM ----------------------------------------------------- Taylor 856, Taylor GC7, Martin 00-28, Breedlove Oregon Concertina, Breedlove Jeff Bridges Signature, Guild JF55-12, Guild D212, Larrivee OM3, Eastman E20 OM, Farida OT22w, Cordoba Fusion 12 Orchestra, Blueridge BR-361, Pono 0-15 mango, Journey OF-660, Tanglewood TWJP parlor (Nashville tuned), Paul Reed Smith SE Custom.
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#4
12-24-2020, 03:30 PM
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well, i certainly learned something new today! thank you
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2013 Custom Shop Martin 000-18 1974 Martin D 28 2001 Taylor 314CE 1990 Alvarez DY-50 2019 McPherson Sable Godin A6 Ultra lots of electrics and amps!
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